Court hears chilling murder testimony

A QACHA’S Nek resident, Dumisani Hulane gave an emotional testimony before the High Court on Tuesday as he narrated how his uncle was fatally shot by his neighbour in 2012.

Mr Hulane spoke in a subdued tone while testifying in a case in which Sempe Biyo (60) from Matebeng, Qacha’s Nek is facing a murder charge for allegedly killing Makoko Hulane on 10 November 2012 in Matebeng in the Qacha’s Nek district.

“On that fateful day I was accompanied by my younger brother to collect firewood from the forest belonging to my grandmother, ‘Maelia,” Mr Hulane told the court.

“We had gone there to collect the firewood because we had discovered that ntate Biyo was cutting trees from that forest the previous day.

“But upon arrival we found there was no wood and we proceeded to ntate Biyo’s place where we found his wife.

“We told her that we had come to collect wood from our grandmother’s forest and she pointed to a heap of wood and we used the oxen to pull it home.”

The 36 year-old Mr Hulane told High Court judge, Justice Tšeliso Monaphathi that he met his uncle on their way home and informed him of what had transpired.

He said as he walked with his uncle to catch up with his younger brother who was driving their oxen homewards, “ntate Biyo’s vehicle passed us and went in the direction of the oxen”.

“He (Biyo) parked his vehicle outside the road and blocked the oxen’s path and drove them back towards his home.

“When we arrived where the oxen were, my uncle asked him what was happening.

“Ntate Biyo did not reply. Instead, he pulled out his big gun and he fired three times. Immediately my uncle fell on the ground and he lay in a pool of blood. Ntate Biyo had shot him.”

Mr Hulane added: “After shooting him he looked at him and said he had finished with a person whom he had always been looking for.”

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